28-May-99 - A national coalition of airport operators and other aviation officials says regional jets are bringing more airline competition, improved service and lower fares to some small cities, but the 37- and 50-seat RJs - as they're called - could have an even greater impact on competition if key restrictions on their use are removed.

The Proposition RJ Coalition said about 1,400 small- and medium-size cities in the United States could support regional jet service to the hubs of major airlines, but they do not have the flights, in part because of clauses in some pilot-union contracts that restrict the number of small jets flown by commuter affiliates.

Such clauses are "artificial barriers to competition'' that are "harmful to communities, to the nation's economy, to competition and to airlines,'' the coalition said in a study released Wednesday.

The pilots union at United Airlines has one of the most restrictive contract provisions in the U.S. airline industry for limiting the use of regional jets by the airline's United Express commuter partners.

United's chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association negotiated a
clause with the company that restricts the carrier's United Express partners to flying no more than 65 of the jets with 50 seats or less.

Recently, United asked the ALPA chapter to consider allowing United Express carriers to add as many as 284 small "feeder'' jets of 44 seats or less and to consider an increase - above the current limit of 65 - in the 50-seat category of regional jet as well.
"Parity with other airlines'

United also wants to investigate, in conjunction with the union, the market potential for regional jets in the 70- to 90-seat category. In looking to boost its complement of RJs, United is seeking "parity with other airlines,'' said company spokesman Joe Hopkins. Carriers such as American, Continental and Delta have been far more aggressive in adding regional jets to their route systems.

Some say RJs could be a boon to air travel in the Rocky Mountain West.

Currently, Grand Junction has turboprop service from United Express to Denver, America West Express to Phoenix and SkyWest/Delta Connection to Salt Lake City.

Growing passenger traffic at Walker Field could help justify the substitution of some RJ service for flying now done by smaller turboprops, said Nystrom.

Ron Dent, aviation director for the Durango-La Plata County Airport, acknowledges that consumers typically prefer regional jets over turboprops but notes that the small jets are expensive to acquire and operate on routes of less than 300 miles.

United Express now operates nine round trips a day between Durango and DIA and 10 round trips between Grand Junction and DIA. Only one of those 19 fights is operated with a jet.

"We see a real plus in regional jets in their ability to bypass hubs,'' said Dent. He said Durango may look to secure daily nonstop American Eagle service from Dallas with the American Airlines' commuter subsidiary's 37-seat RJs.

Durango is out of range for American Eagle's turboprops from Dallas, and the Colorado city cannot support daily year-round service from American's bigger jets. But the RJ may fit the niche in the middle.

ALPA leaders at United discussed the airline's regional jet proposal at a council meeting this week, but the union "has not determined its direction'' on the RJ is sue, said Madison Walton, a United captain and ALPA spokesman. "We continue to deliberate this complex issue.''
Growth sought, not limits

Pilots at United and other major carriers have long been concerned that regional jets could supplant routes now handled by larger jets and their pilots.

United pilots "are concerned about passenger feed to our hubs,'' said Walton. But they "want regional jets to enhance the growth of United Airlines,'' he added, and not slow or limit that growth.

Currently, Air Wisconsin is the one United Express carrier at Denver International Airport that operates the new regional jets. The airline has four 50-seat jets made by Bombardier Aerospace in Canada and flies nonstop to Madison, Wis.; Memphis, Tenn.; Fargo, N.D.; Jackson, Miss.; and several other cities from DIA with the jet.

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